Project Northeast Warrior Parts Installation

The Northeast Warrior car is starting to take shape. With most of the major chassis work complete, we've been busy designing and mounting suspension components and fabricating interior sheetmetal. It's time to get this thing off the jig and sitting on all fours. Parts are arriving daily, allowing us to step up the pace of construction. Except for a few minor details, the suspension system is in place. We have a "roller!"

Parts ParadeThere were a few details to address with the chassis before beginning the suspension installation. One of the many parts that arrived was the new 16-gallon, low-profile, steel fuel cell from Fuel Safe. This is one beautiful unit, which features a durable racing bladder contained within a steel casing. So, while we had it out of the box, admiring it, we decided this was a good time to measure and weld the necessary mounts. It's not ready for permanent installation yet, but now we know where it is going to sit. The rules stipulate that it must be mounted in a fixed, nonadjustable location, centered between the framerails, with the bottom of the cell a minimum of 12 inches off the ground. A tubing bar with a minimum thickness of 111/44x.095 inches must protect the bottom and back of the cell.

Alterations to the front clip were necessary because the engine will be sitting lower on the clip, and some areas had to be made to accommodate exterior engine components. Sections of the stock front clip were removed with a plasma cutter to make room for the fuel pump and to ensure that the front linkage would not bind. With this complete, we began hanging the suspension system.

The suspension setup on these cars is very basic, nothing elaborate-but don't be fooled by the simplicity, because the intricacies of this system must be understood. DIRT Motorsports attempts to keep the cost of this division down by limiting the number of high-performance parts allowed. It's a well-known fact that more money usually generates more wins, or at least good finishes. The rules are designed to eliminate any unfair advantage, perceived or otherwise, that may come with a thicker wallet. DIRT stipulates that all parts must remain stock, all mounting locations must also be stock, and all springs must be of original stock type and location. Only steel-bodied, nonadjustable rate shocks are allowed. Only one shock per wheel is permitted, and a stock sway bar may be used if the original street version was so equipped.

The suspension systems have very basic setups, so construction on these cars can be approached in two ways. To keep the cost down, stock components from a '75-'82 chassis may be the preferred way to go. A set of stock coil springs and rear leaf springs, new or used, can get the job done for the beginner. The ultimate goal is to get the car on the track, which generates seat time. It makes no sense to keep the car on the trailer until you can afford the preferred part.

Stock frontend hardware, such as control arms, rotors, bearing seals, and brake calipers, were acquired from our local Pep Boys. The control arms, however, were a problem. While we had a set from our local junkyard, we wanted to see if we could locate new components. Pep Boys steered us toward a company called Rareparts, which rounded up a set for us. Rareparts did mention that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find pre-'82 OEM Camaro components.

The Northeast Warrior car is sprung with AFCO Racing suspension parts all the way around. On the front, AFCO steel 9-inch shocks run up through the center of the upper control arms, attached to the chassis tubing on top with double shear mounts to minimize flexing and to ensure a solid mount. The bottom shock mounts attach about 2 inches inward of the lower ball joint on the lower control arm. This positioning will let the shock perform at its optimum rating. Two 900-pound, 511/42x911/42-inch springs were added to complete the package.

In order to run the front shocks up through the center of the upper control arm, some modifications had to be made. DIRT rules permit the center of the control arm to be cut away to allow for clearance of the shock. To add strength, we then welded steel plates around the outside of the arm and steel tubing across the inside width. We tried our best to grind these fabricated control arms into something appealing to the eye, but never got them to showroom quality. All of this would be unnecessary if DIRT would allow aftermarket control arms.

The decision was made early in the process to run weight-jacking bolts on all four corners. Along with the coil and leaf springs, we also needed weight jack bolts, plates, and cups from AFCO. With the suspension system we are running, the weight-jackers won't make any drastic changes by themselves, but offer a way to fine-tune the chassis once the base setup is in place. Regardless of how basic the setup is, you still have to know how to dial it in and give it that additional tweak when necessary. The surface at the Orange County Fair Speedway, in Middletown, New York-our home track-changes as the season progresses. We will be making changes throughout the season to keep the Warrior car dialed-in. The initial setup and subsequent refinements will be discussed in future Northeast Warrior installments.

Our Rear ArrivesLike small children waiting for Santa, the entire Northeast Warrior crew had been awaiting the arrival of the rear. With it, we could really get going on the rear suspension. We knew it had already been shipped, but we couldn't wait for the big box with "Currie Enterprises" written on it to arrive. Well, nothing is easy. Delivery was attempted at Mitch's house, however, the tractor-trailer couldn't fit up his street and away went our rear. So close! Mitch, being a true soldier, was advised of this, and at 11 p.m. was standing on the loading dock at the trucking company, putting our new rear into the back of his pickup.

For several years, the Ford 9-inch rear has been the hot setup. Our choice is the Currie Enterprises 61-inch housing with a Ford 9-inch rear, 567 gears and a lightweight disc brake package. Currie's reputation for manufacturing quality specialized rearends and components was the reason we chose this product. DIRT allows the Ford 9-inch rear to be installed in any Pro-Stock chassis as a replacement to the original, provided it uses all the same parts needed to hold the rear as the unit being replaced. It must be in the same location as the original-front to back and centered between the main frame-rails. The same type and positioning of springs must be used. Spring-mounting pads must be stock and welded in one position on the rearend housing. A steel spool can lock our rear, which we had Currie install for us.

One major advantage of the Ford 9-inch rear is the convenience of changing gears. Ford rears contain a pumpkin unit, which slides in and out in one piece. With a few team members working on this, you can do a gear change in about a half-hour. This is not the case on GM rears, however. Some racers claim that Ford rears also have a sturdier bearing retainer on the outside of the brake backing-plate assembly compared to a C-clip on most GM rears, and that GM axle flanges have also been known to crack under racing conditions.

Others report using stock GM rears with no problems, and with a good maintenance program, an original Camaro GM rear can work for you. Checking suspected weak areas regularly can save a lot of heartache at the track. By painting a white line down the spline, you can check for twist, and by pulling the axles out occasionally and checking for cracks around the flange, you can spot trouble early. Try painting the flange white. Cracks will show up early as black lines in the paint. No matter what equipment you are running, adhere to the following principle: What you bring to the track is directly proportionate to what you bring home from the track. Preparation and maintenance are key to finishing races.

After touching, staring at, and taking pictures of the new rear for about an hour, we decided it would look a lot better mounted on the car. This was a time-consuming process. We set our wheelbase, made some final decisions on the design of the leaf-spring mounting brackets and shackles, and measured for the placement of the rear. After sliding, lifting, and taking numerous measurements, the rear was spot-welded into place, followed by more measurements to convince ourselves that we had it right. Pinion angle is also of utmost importance. Once the car is completed and weight adjustments are made, we will set the angle for maximum performance. This will also be discussed in a future article

Before permanently installing the rear, make sure it is squared up with the frontend, or you will have a serious handling problem. Look at it like dropping a modular home on top of a foundation that is not square-not a pretty sight.

A Lesson LearnedDIRT specs mandate a minimum of a 107-inch wheelbase. Plans called for the Warrior car to be more than 107 inches, due largely to the size of the track we will be competing at. Orange County is a large, 51/48-mile track. A shorter wheelbase works best on smaller tracks. We are currently at a 109-inch wheelbase on the car, which will keep the car more stable on the larger track.

When setting the wheelbase, also be aware that some leaf springs vary in size by manufacturer. You may order springs with identical ratings from two manufactures and receive springs in varying lengths. Some may be off by 11/42 inch. We chose AFCO rear leaf springs because of their quality and uniformity of length. For the 2000 season, we'll start with 153-pound springs on the rear.

In the process of installing our rear, we learned a valuable lesson. With the car now sitting on a smaller rolling bench, we dropped in the dummy motor, transmission, and driveshaft before squaring the rear. This is smart, but only if the car is balanced when off the ground. We found out what happens when it's not. That afternoon, as the crew was staring at the good work recently completed on the rear, the entire chassis tilted and crashed to the floor! Why, you ask? Because after installing the rear and dropping in the dummy motor and transmission, we didn't check to see that all this newly added weight was in balance. Nothing was damaged, but a half-days work was wasted because the partially installed rear shifted and had to be realigned and installed again. It was a lesson learned.

With the car now able to support itself, we acquired a set of 10x15-inch lightweight chrome steel wheels from Bassett Racing Wheel. They weigh only 20 pounds! A great feature on the company's 3-inch offset wheel is the location of the valve stem-on the inside of the wheel, where it is protected from contact with other cars. Initially, we'll be using 3- and 4-inch offset wheels. We are mandated by DIRT to run Hoosier tires, and we currently have the largest allowable tire on all four corners. With the body being fitted soon, this will allow us to ensure adequate wheelwell clearance for all permissible tire sizes.

Getting InsideThe interior design is starting to take shape. Following another trip to Behrent's Performance Warehouse in Florida, New York, for sheetmetal, we're starting with the firewall and moving back into the driver's compartment. Front and rear firewalls must extend from fender to fender in as straight a line as possible. No excessive cutouts or tunneling in the front firewall are allowed. The driver's compartment must be sealed off from the trunk area by a full rear steel firewall and rear window shelf. The dash must remain in one even plane across the width of the car, and the steering column must be adequately secured in the stock position. A full floorboard must be installed from front to rear and from side to side. The passenger-side floorboard may be raised to a height even with the driveshaft tunnel to allow for better ground clearance of exhaust pipes and mufflers. No sheet-metal may extend from the passenger-side dash back to the rear deck.

The seat must be securely fastened (bolted or welded) to the rollcage and/or frame in at least six places.

A new Richardson Racing seat has been custom-fitted for Mitch. Richardson does not keep a readily available supply of 15-inch seats, so one had to be made to fit his small rump. The seat (with Mitch in it) and the steering column have been temporarily placed in the car and measurements taken for the final installation. (Mitch doesn't know this, but when he was sitting in the car, with steering wheel in hand, we all heard him making vroooom, vroooom sounds!)

One Step CloserWe've been using a Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool 24-inch bead roller on the sheetmetal as the pieces are fabricated. It not only looks good, but it also gives the sheetmetal panels added strength.

Once the rear shock mounts are installed, the suspension should be almost finished, except for any last-minute changes or tweaks we decide to make. When the car is 100 percent complete, we'll set up the suspension to run at Orange County. For now, our immediate goal has been attained. The car is now off the jig and sitting in the shop supported by a nearly completed suspension, sporting four new Hoosiers, mounted on shiny new Bassett Racing wheels.

We've been delivering parts to our engine builder, Jeff Saaf, at a steady pace. The block is being prepped, and the next installment will be devoted to building the engine.